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FrameSAFE Removes Jobsite Safety Guesswork for All Framers

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Large framing operations are putting the National Framers Council’s FrameSAFE program to work to elevate the safety level of their skilled subcontractors. Colt Builders has five locations across the country from California to Maryland and has found the program very beneficial to their subs. “We require that our subs have an acceptable safety program of their own in order contract with us,” explained Colt’s subcontractor manager April Rinehart. “If they don’t have a program or what they have isn’t up to our standards, we require FrameSAFE. We currently have 14 subs using the program, with more in the works.”

Maureen Main, safety coordinator for Colt, discussed how FrameSAFE helps both parties. “Having their own safety program differentiates the subs’ responsibility for safety from Colt’s, which is beneficial to our organization’s overall safety goals,” she explained. “And our subs seem appreciative when we direct them to the program. Having a safety system and using the plan makes them safer, and FrameSAFE takes the guesswork out of knowing what to do.”

Likewise, small companies like the program because it is so easy to use. “As a one-man show, it’s great to have all the work done for me,” commented NFC Executive Director Chris Tatge who also owns and operates Dynamic Construction in Madison, Wisconsin. “All I have to do is use it, which takes work off my plate while still providing the tools I need to keep things safe on the jobsite.”

The NFC Safety Committee is pleased to announce that Version 3 of the FrameSAFE Safety Program will be available as of July 3. In addition to a number of small clarifications and improvements throughout, Version 3 includes four new modules covering high wind conditions, trench awareness, material delivery traffic control and reinforcing steel impalement hazards. These modules are based on the “Toolbox Talks” that were released to subscribers over the course of the last year.

“The committee is dedicated to the ongoing development of this valuable safety tool,” stated NFC President and Safety Committee Chair Ken Shifflett of Ace Carpentry in Manassas, Virginia. “We will put together additional Toolbox Talks and other resources as topics arise and provide those to FrameSAFE subscribers as they are available.”

Safety committee initiatives for the remainder of the year include disseminating information on OSHA’s silica ruling, creating guidelines for navigating an OSHA inspection and developing a presentation resource to help framers implement FrameSAFE on each jobsite.

For more information about the FrameSAFE program, visit the NFC website.